Published Nov 09, 2022 | 1:12 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 09, 2022 | 3:28 PM
Students of Nizam College at Basheerbagh
The students of Nizam College continued their protest on Wednesday, 9 November, demanding hostel facilities for undergraduate girl students despite Telangana’s Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy’s assurance that she would resolve the issue.
Indra Reddy made the assurance in response to a tweeted message by KT Rama Rao, the Minister for IT and Industries, on Tuesday, 8 November.
“I will personally look into the matter… . Will resolve it ASAP,” the education minister responded to KTR in a tweet.
Earlier, while requesting Indra Reddy to “intervene and address the issue”, KTR said: “As per the request of the students, the girls’ hostel was built and handed over to the college. This situation seems unwarranted.”
I will personally look into the matter @KTRTRS garu. Will resolve it ASAP
— Sabitha Reddy (@BrsSabithaIndra) November 8, 2022
On 8 November, representatives of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi Vidyarthu (TRSV) met KTR at Pragathi Bhavan. The TRS working president assured them to find a solution.
“Tomorrow’s (9 November) protest has been called off as we will wait for Sabitha Reddy ma’am’s reaction on the matter,” Bochu Chandu, TRSV president, had told South First after meeting KTR.
But the protesting ‘Nizamians’, as the students call themselves, refused to call off the protest.
“We do not trust the college administration as they have not kept their promises in the past,” Mohammed Irfan, a third-year student associated with the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU), said.
Incidentally, the students staged a silent protest on 7 November on the college premises, demanding accommodation for UG girls students in the newly-constructed women’s hostel.
When South First contacted the college administration after KTR’s intervention, they said that they were still awaiting instructions from the vice-chancellor.
Newly constructed hostel at Nizam college. (Ajay Tomar/South First)
“Principal sir (Bhima Bhukya) will act on the VC’s instructions. As of now, the hostel was allocated to post-graduate students. KTR sir announced the hostel for girls, without mentioning whether it is for UG or PG girls,” a college official said requesting anonymity.
The official added that the decision to shift the PG girls’ hostel to the new building was made due to the “deteriorating condition” of the earlier hostel on the main campus of Osmania University.
He claimed that the PG students had requested the principal to shift them to the Nizam college hostel citing an easier commute. The UG students produced a letter from their seniors, requesting the principal to allow them to continue in the previous hostel.
They cited the library and free coaching facilities for competitive exams available on the Osmania campus to support their request.
South First tried to reach Nizam College Principal Bhima Bhukya over the phone. He did not respond.
Pavithra Gummadi, a second-year UG student told South First, “If I get a hostel it will ease the financial burden since I have to pay ₹5,000 a month for private accommodation outside, whereas the college hostel fee is around ₹8,000 per annum.
Incidentally, hostel facilities are available for male UG and OG students, besides female PG students.
The male students have expressed solidarity with UG girls leading the agitation for the hostel.
They raised slogans such as ‘Principal down, down’, and ‘We want justice.’
“The principal earlier said that he will allot that hostel (the newly-constructed one) to UG girls, but later gave it to PG girls, saying it was done based on a directive from the vice-chancellor”, Irfan alleged, adding that the issue has been continuing unaddressed for the past five months.
He added that the college administration on 4 November night “discreetly” tried to inaugurate the hostel, which was later stopped following a protest by students.
Meanwhile, a college administration official claimed that the hostel could accommodate only 300 residents. The students countered saying it could lodge nearly 600 students.
Established in 1887, Nizam College’s illustrious alumni include KTR, Asaduddin Owaisi, former chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to travel in space.
